Chuck Blazer Enters NY Expansion Race

Chuck Blazer could throw a massive monkey wrench into the New York expansion fun. (Getty Images)

The writing was possibly too much on the wall for this not to happen. We heard the whispers for a little while that something could be going wrong in the New York Cosmos to MLS expansion camp. With the news the other day that Cosmos chairman and CEO Paul Kemsley resigned, you just knew something else was going on.

Apparently some folks from the Middle East – from Saudi Arabia to be exact – are in talks to take over the Cosmos and their expansion effort. You have to think it is a group with some serious scratch.

But that isn’t even the biggest part of this story. Earlier this week both Soccer America and The Sporting News reported that a new group is in the hunt for this elusive New York expansion team in MLS.

Enter Chuck Glazer.

MLS commissioner Don Garber has said a few times over the last several months that there have been more than one group in New York pushing for this expansion slot, not just the Cosmos.

Blazer, who will retain his seat on FIFA’s executive committee, will be joined by former Cosmos goalkeeper Shep Messing and retired New York Jets running back Curtis Martin in an effort to land the New York City franchise that MLS so desperately wants, Soccer America reported this week.

The Sporting News mentioned that there are no other mentions of the other groups that are said to be out there. My bet, this is the big fish the league is hoping for in New York. Sure the Cosmos name and brand is iconic but at the end of the day it comes down to one important thing in New York – money.

Blazer and his group will likely have a bigger pile of money to throw at getting a stadium in New York and to getting a team in MLS. Who knows what this Saudi group that could take over the Cosmos will bring to the table, if anything it means it will be another group with a lot of scratch.

I think soccer fans in New York will enjoy hearing this news, others around the country that hope to get a MLS team in their city will certainly hate hearing this. Again, money is what drives all of this in the first place. Most of these “hopeful” cities are lacking at the moment. Until someone in Detroit, Miami, Tampa, Minnesota, San Diego or whatever flashes a few hundred million in front of the league’s front office, they likely won’t get too much of a sniff from the league.

Byob

i dont get it, first come first serve with the name of cosmos and colors, or will chuck and team name their New York team, at their taste. Can someone explain to me? So it is,Cosmos expansion versus New York City Fc Expansion…… or just fighting with money over Cosmos name